Proto-Taspin
Proto-Taspin is the language of the south east lands in Bidunia. This is the most ancient classical language of the people who first migrated into the area. Classification and Dialects This language diverged into several dialects that became their own languages. Phonology Consonants Vowels Phonotactics Writing System Grammar Nouns Adjectives Comparative The comparative form of an adjective adds the suffix '-us' Superlative The superlative form of an adjective adds the suffix '-(e)rn' Extremitive The extremitive form of an adjective adds the suffix '-jot'' Moderative The moderative form of an adjective adds the suffix '-ha' Permanentive The permanentive form of an adjective adds the suffix '-akhi' Temporal The temporal form of an adjective adds the suffix '-own' Prepositions Most prepositions (Ps) are pretty straight forward. You just have to decline the noun following it to get a different shade of meaning. A physical stative P uses the LOC case, physical dynamic the ABL case, temporal the GEN case, and***? Verbs Verbs are separated into various types, and they are distinguished by their suffixes. Verb types 1, 2, 3, 4 are respectively "-ir(-)", "-an(-)", "-is(-)", and "-aj(-)". Tense Aspect Mood Negative The negative mood is used just like Japanese. To specify that an action is not done, this mood is used. There are two morphemes that signify the mood. For 1 and 3 type verbs, the suffix "-mo" is used. For verb types 2 and 4, the suffix "-nu" is used. E.g. Interrogative The interrogative mood is used to ask yes or no questions. The suffix "-kho" is added to verb types 1 and 2, and the suffix "-par" is added to types 3 and 4. Conditional Desiderative Deontic Voice/Valency changes Active There is no marking on verbs for the active voice. Transitive verbs and intransitive ones stay intransitive. E.g. Thet'epintan so t'orii PRES-IPFV-live 1.sg-ABS house-LOC I live in a house E.g. P'iphip'annu se phuŋau tho REC-PFV-ask-NEG 1.sg-ERG question-ACC 2.sg-DAT I didn't just ask you a question Passive The passive construction is marked by the suffix "wi" on the verb. Like many passives, it takes the ACC and makes it the ABS. The original ERG argument can be left off or placed back in as an ABL. Intransitive verbs cannot be passivised. This construction is most useful for relative clauses, for only the ABS may be relativised. E.g. Aŋphak'ane se pik'u PAST-PFV-see 1.SG-ERG tree-ACC I saw a tree Transformation: Aŋphak'anewi pik'o sa PAST-PFV-see-PASS tree-ABS 1.SG-ABL A tree was seen by me Causative The causative is the only valency increasing construction in Proto-Taspin. It is the suffix "(i)k'" attached to the verb. With an intransitive verb, the ABS becomes the ACC and the causer becomes the ERG. With a transitive verb, the ACC stays the ACC, but the ERG gets demoted to DAT and the causer becomes the ERG. With a ditransitive verb,*************** E.g. 1 argument Ert'et'isi tho PRES-IPFV-run 2.SG-ABS you are running Transformation: Ert'et'isik' sopoe thu PRES-IPFV-run-CAUS 1.PL-ERG 2.SG-ACC I made you run E.g. 2 arguments Thesek'ane se nurarumu PRES-INCEP-see 1.SG-ERG light-PROX-ACC I'm starting to see the light Transformation: Thesek'anek' se nurarumu tho PRES-INCEP-see-CAUS 1.SG-ERG light-PROX-ACC 2.SG-DAT I'm making you start to see the light Antipassive This construction is used exclusively for the relative clause formation. It does not make any sense to use this construction outside of them because they are semantically equivalent. It also has SVO order. When going from ACT to ANTIP with a transitive verb, the suffix "mar" is added to the verb, the ERG becomes ABS, and the ACC becomes INSTR. For intransititve verbs, just add the suffix and flip the order. When this clause is used, the beginning clause usually needs to be passivised in order for the ABS to be the subject of both clauses. Auxilliary stuff (like ABL, DAT, INSTR) are usually placed before the Rel clause, but may go after too. E.g. 2 arguments: Ert'ephaja k'ate ŋesu PRES-IPFV-drink person-ERG water-ACC A person drinks water Transformation: K'ato ert'ephajamar ŋesaj person-ABS PRES-IPFV-drink-ANTIP water-INSTR A person who drinks water Application: K'awasiriwi sa k'ato aŋt'aphajamar ŋesaj PAST-DUR-love-PASS 1.SG-ABL person-ABS PAST-IPFV-drink-ANTIP water-INSTR For a while, I loved a person who drank water Applicative? Middle voice? Syntax Stress The stress of PT is a mostly fixed antepenultimate system with the stress on the 3rd to last syllable. The exception is when there is an ejective in the ultimate or penultimate position. These are treated as special syllables and the closest syllable to the end, the 3rd or closer ejective preceded syllable, will get the stress. E.g. Nurak'áne = wake up = ejective triggered stress Jósaphon = cool/cold = regular antepenultimate stress Lexicon Example text Category:Languages